Nov 11 2013 5:47pm from IGnatius T Foobar @uncnsrd
What I don't understand is why the cabin had a fuel smell in it.
 Properly connected fuel tanks should not ventilate into the cabin
no matter how big they are or where they're located.

The EVAP system lines may be gone. When you fill the tank with liquid, you're displacing a large volume of fuel vapors that have to go somewhere. They travel up lines into a charcoal canister and are burned later when a purge solenoid lets them into the intake.

If they've rotted out fuel vapor will come out of everywhere. This happened in my van.

should be a "check engine" on newer vehicles if the EVAP dies

Ummm ... folks, we're talking about the guy who modified a vehicle to hold extra fuel so he could drive across the US in a record breaking 28h50m. "Cabin" refers to the interior of the vehicle.

I understand that he added more fuel tanks inside the cabin, but even in that case there should be no fuel smell inside the cabin. It should be filled from the outside and if there is any ventilation, it should ventilate to the outside.

http://www.koeln.de/files/images/fahrkunst-cz-1000.horizontal.jpg

*tsk*

Women drivers...






Just kidding!!

We just leased a plug in Prius. Hoping to be saving big on fuel now, and it's my husband's car but I've driven it and it feels very comfortable. It doesn't have a strong pick up, but there are more important things I suppose, once you are in your mid-30's. I didn't try but I don't know if it actually CAN go faster than like 60 miles an hour. But I like the car.

Shazam

I am in my mid-60s. That very solid "kick in the ass" that my MR2 Spyder gives me when I hit that gas pedal is just as important now as in years past.

And... the MR2 gets around 35 mpg average on regular gasoline.
AND it's 'bout as fast as the proverbial raped ape!

comfortable. It doesn't have a strong pick up, but there are more

It doesn't have to. I swear more Prius owners pass me than I them -- and it's because they drive that thing like they stole it.

I am in my mid-60s. That very solid "kick in the ass" that my MR2
Spyder gives me when I hit that gas pedal is just as important now as

Now there's a car. If I didn't need something larger and more practical, I'd have bought one years ago.

That, or a Z4, or a Miata, or a BRZ...

I had a few of the first generation MR2s. The most recent one was an 87 which I sold to my little brother. It was the normally aspirated one, but had been someone's baby before I got it: aftermarket suspension, wide low-profile tires, a few other performance parts. Not super fast, but I've never even been in another car that handled so well. On dry pavement, you simply could not break the rear end loose. I tried to find the limits on some of the cloverleafs around here and finally just gave up and accepted that wherever they were, they were above my abilities as a driver.

My red 1988 was a little faster, but more conventionally handling: still very good. It was murdered by a Nissan Titan in a parking lot whose driver didn't know how to use mirrors.

The first generation MR2 was absolutely the finest handling automobile I've ever owned.
My first was a supercharged '88. Fast off the line, but you really paid a price at the gas station.

My next was a naturally aspirated '88, bought as a literal piece of junk (body-wise) and restored over roughly a 3 year period by me. Well, actually by my favorite body shop. A magnificent car. I personally put about 210,000 miles on it between 2005 and 2010 and sold it with 330,000 miles on it for about 4x what it cost me to buy it. Broke even on the restoration - well, almost, but close enough.

My present "toy" is the 2002 MR2 Spyder. Faster than any car I've ever owned (naturally aspirated, though Toyota thoughtfully put mounting points and holes for a turbo if you do an aftermarket job - there was never a turbo option for the Spyder).

However, the Spyder has more than just a slight hint of Porsche 911 hazard built in.
Yes - that infamous "throttle-up over-steer" thing in a corner.
*****If***** you know how to make that work *for* you it is a marvel.
If not, it *****will***** end up killing you by throwing you into a spinout and into a wall or over the edge into a canyon.

A truly wonderful car - particularly considering that it was only MSRP $24,500 when brand new. I bought mine used in 2010 with only 57K on the 'clock.'
I paid $11,500.
I turned down $13,500 about 4 weeks ago.

I loved both cars (and my older brother's '86 before them), but with two kids under 5, I needed something with at least a notional backseat. I'd been looking for mid-80s Celicas or Supras, but happened upon a 1973 Capri v6 2.6L with only 42k miles, so that's conveniently in my price range, so that's my driver now. My parents had a '74 when I was a kid, so it was like buying my childhood for $3500. As a bonus, after we converted to electronic ignition, I averaged 27 mpg year round. (Have some carb problems at the moment; it's a bit off.)

Sig

Have you considered the Datsun 260Z? 1974 to 1979 if memory serves, and it was available in a "2+2" version with a 2-person back seat which folded down to give you a surprisingly large storeage area. No trunk; a hatchback. And.... FAST !! [Note - 'Datsun' is the name they used before switching over to the corporate Nissan brand name here in the US]

If I had seen one when I was looking in decent condition, I could easily have gone the Z-car route.

hatchback. And.... FAST !! [Note - 'Datsun' is the name they used
before switching over to the corporate Nissan brand name here in the

"Yokomatashimitakabi-san! You must think of a name for our American division by tomorrow!"

"That soon?!?"

"Yes! Very good! We will call it Dat-sun!"

"Yes! Very good! We will call it Dat-sun!"

Ouch !!

Thank you, I'll be here all week. Tip your waiters!